Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University APM

The new building for Brown University’s Division of Applied Mathematics was completed in 2015. The surface of the building is clad with a custom layout of shingles in Zahner’s Solanum Steel, a preweathered patina on weathering steel alloy. This 13,000 square foot structure offers additional space for faculty, students and staff. Zahner was specified on the job by the designers at Architectural Research Office (ARO), who had previously worked with the Solanum Steel material on a residence in Telluride, CO. Adapting a similar shingled system for the new design at Brown University, the designers came up with a small tabletop mockup for the layout. This mockup allowed for rationalization of the overlap pattern, and the ability to figure out the layout early on.